**3. Agrobiological and economic assessment of Crimean native grape varieties**

The study includes the number of 11 native grape varieties of Crimea and 2control varieties 'Cabernet Sauvignon 'and 'Rkatsiteli'. The study of varieties was carried out with 10 registered bushes in each study in the period of 2010–2012.

The degree of agrobiological characteristics of the variety depends on climatic conditions in the area of cultivation. Taking into consideration the fact that most of the native varieties of Crimea have a functionally female type of flower, weather conditions (in particular, precipitation, strong winds during the blossom period) influenced the processes of inflorescences, formation and berry-filling and, as a result, the mass of bunches and the yield in general.

The beginning of sap flow period was observed from the third decade of March to the first decade of April (**Table 1**).

On average, the beginning of budding was observed from 23 to 26 of April. In 2012 this parameter shifted by 3–4 days in the direction of earlier dates. The earliest bud pushing is the characteristic of the varieties 'Krona', 'Sary Pandas', 'Kok Pandas' and the control variety 'Rkatsiteli'. Blooming in this zone begins after 42–47 days


#### **Table 1.**

*Transit of the main phenological phases in native grape varieties.*

from 3 to 9 of June. The group of early flowering includes varieties 'Krona', 'Kok Pandas' and 'Sary Pandas'. The varieties 'Kefesiya', 'Gevat Kara', 'Ekim Kara' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (c) are characterized by late flowering. It is necessary to note that 'Solnechnodolinskii' and 'Kokur Belyi' varieties, prone to late budding, entered the flowering phase early. The ripening of berries in studied and control varieties usually occurs after two months, about 59–64 days. The earliest softening of berries is observed in 'Kokur Belyi' variety and occurs on average over the years of study on August, 4; the latest - in the variety 'Sary Pandas'. The earliest coloring of berries begins in 'Krona' variety, latest – 'Gevat Kara'. The onset of industrial ripeness in white varieties is observed the earliest in 'Kokur Belyi' variety (September, 14), the latest in 'Kapselski Belyi' (September, 18). Speaking of the black varieties, the earliest in this group was 'Gevat Kara' (September, 16), the latest was 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (c). On average, the industrial ripeness of the studied varieties practically did not differ and was observed from 14 to 19 of September.

The variety 'Solnechnodolinskii' has the shortest production period of 143 days, and variety 'Shabash' has the longest one of 148 days.

For the period of study, the load of eyes on the bush was distributed as follows: the smallest number was observed in the varieties 'Kefesiya' and 'Ekim Kara', and the biggest - in the variety 'Kokur Belyi' (**Table 2**). The largest percentage of vigorous shoots was observed in the varieties 'Shabash', 'Kapselski Belyi', 'Kokur Belyi', 'Ekim Kara' with share exceeding 90%.

In the variety 'Solnechnodolinskii' the proportion of sterile fruitless shoots does not exceed 50%. Varieties 'Kefesiya', 'Krona', 'Soldaiya', 'Ekim Kara' are characterized by a low number of fruit-bearing shoots – 50-60%. In other native grape


#### **Table 2.**

*Agrobiological parameters of grape varieties under study.*

*Biological Characteristics of Native Grape Cultivars of Crimean Region and Availability… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98975*

varieties the parameters of growth of fruit-bearing shoots do not differ significantly from the control varieties and range from 70 to 80%. The highest fruiting coefficient (C1), approaching the one, had 'Kokur Belyi' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon'. According to the parameter of fruit fertility coefficient (C2) the control variety 'Kokur Belyi' (1.21) significantly differs from the whole group of varieties. Crimean native varieties 'Gevat Kara', 'Shabash' have significant differences in this parameter with the control varieties 'Cabernet Sauvignon' and 'Rkatsiteli'. The highest values of fruiting and fertility coefficients belong to the varieties 'Gevat Kara' (0.94; 1.11), 'Kokur Belyi' (0.97; 1.21). Over the period of study the values of shoot productivity were determined (**Table 3**).

According to the scale of productivity of grape varieties it was established that its level by the parameter of wet raw bunch weight in varieties 'Gevat Kara', 'Kokur Belyi' is characterized as average and do not significantly differ from the control, and in 'Korona' variety, the parameter of shoot productivity is very poor. Low level of shoot productivity in the range from 147 g/shoot to 75.5 g/shoot was noted in all other native varieties under study. The highest crop yield among the black-berried varieties belong to 'Gevat Kara' (62.2 centner/ha) and 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (58.7 centner/ha).

In the group of white-berried varieties the highest yield was observed in 'Kokur Belyi' variety (48.9 centner/ha). By the weight of the bunch, all the studied black-berried varieties are inferior to the control variety 'Cabernet Sauvignon' –176.9 g and variety 'Gevat Kara' –177.9 g. In the group of white-berried varieties the 'Kapselski Belyi', 'Solnechnodolinskii', 'Kokur Belyi' and 'Rkatsiteli' varieties do not differ from the average weight of the bunch. During the onset


#### **Table 3.**

*Productivity and grape quality of varieties under study.*

of technological ripeness, with almost same mass concentration of sugars from 20.6 to 22.1 g L−1, the content of titratable acids significantly decreases from 7.5 to 8.4 g L−1 in black varieties compared to the control (9.7 g L−1). In white-berried varieties the sugar content significantly exceeded their concentration in the control variety 'Rkatsiteli' (20.0 Brix), excluding 'Shabash' variety (19.7 Brix). The higher the parameter of the structure (the ratio of the weight of berries to the weight of the stems), the higher the economic value of the variety. To determine this parameter during the study period, the mechanical composition of the crop was studied (**Table 4**).

The smallest proportion of the stem weight in the bunch was observed in the varieties 'Kefesiya' and 'Gevat Kara', the biggest in the varieties 'Ekim Kara' and 'Kok Pandas'. The seeds in the structure of bunch had different quantity and weight, reflected in the percentage of the mechanical composition. It should be noted that Crimean native white-berried grape varieties have low seed weight. According to the parameter of skin weight, following groups may be distinguished: with the lowest value up to 4 percent of the content in the bunch: 'Kapselski Belyi', 'Shabash', 'Soldaiya', 'Kok Pandas'. The highest value of this parameter is observed in the varieties 'Kokur Belyi' and 'Rkatsiteli'. Content of pulp and juice in berries differs by variety: from 82.6 to 91.6%. The highest content of pulp and juice in berries was observed in 'Kapselski Belyi' variety. The highest structural parameter was observed in varieties 'Kefesiya' – 46.7.

Main parameters characterizing the economic value of the variety are: crop yield, cost of production, net income of the product obtained, and level of production profitability. According to the indexed calculation of the above parameters, all native varieties are profitable (**Table 5**).

Due to the low yield and high net cost of the cultivated grapes the varieties 'Ekim Kara' and 'Kefesiya' have a low profitability. The most profitable varieties are 'Gevat Kara' – 273.1%, 'Kokur Belyi' – 144.6%, 'Kapselski Belyi' – 122.0%.


#### **Table 4.**

*Mechanical composition of bunches of varieties under study.*


*Biological Characteristics of Native Grape Cultivars of Crimean Region and Availability… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.98975*

#### **Table 5.**

*Economic effectiveness of cultivation of native grape varieties of Crimea.*
